Today, I’m going to share with you the most POWERFUL “spiritual” principle that I am aware of. Profoundly simple and I’ve talked about it often, it will make PRACTICE, which I consider the second-most powerful principle, easy as cake. It can make your life significantly more fun, more rich, more varied, more interesting, more fulfilling, more… life-like!
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A great Zen master once said that a spontaneous belly laugh will get you closer to “the divine” than anything else. Quite a lot of magic there. But how can we make ourselves fertile ground for these magical laughs?
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I don’t want to hold your suspense for too long, so I’ll go ahead and spill the beans (this also opens up a space for me to provide examples).
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The most powerful power that I currently know about is…
PLAY!
If you want to change yourself into that person you always imagined you could be, step one is to play pretend.
“What would that me do?”
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Want to learn a new skill?
Make it fun and you’ll pick it up faster and easier.
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Struggling to quiet your anxieties about the future?
Play a silly game and notice how those anxieties suddenly vanish.
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Overwhelmed with guilt or regret about the past and want to let it go?
Invent a game where you have a funny, imaginary past and do improv as that character. *Poof* the ghost of the past wails quite a bit softer.
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Want to exercise, but just can’t “find the time” or “get motivated”?
Make it really fun and you’ll exercise without even thinking about it.
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Want to make great art?
Learn to play around with your ideas instead of trying to force them.
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Want to be more authentic? Want to be a great wizard/witch/shaman/monk/whatever? Want to…
You get the idea.
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Most powerfully, do you want to experience more of those magical belly laughs?
PLAY!
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Don’t know how to play? Allergic to having fun? Don’t know where to start?
Start anywhere (<— this is another important principle and I will make a post about this soon!) and practice.
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You remember PRACTICE, right?
I can’t think of anything more fun to practice than PLAYING!!
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The great thing about this principle is that it can be started right now, wherever you are, no matter what you’re doing.
If you’re feeling shy or embarrassed or clumsy, practice anyway.
Playing is the CURE for shyness and embarrassment and even clumsiness.
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Plant the seeds of fun and watch what grows!
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